William a



(No Model.)

w. A. HORRALL.

MAIL POUCH FASTENER.

No. 417,641. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

. T UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM A. I'IORRALL, OF WASHINGTON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN G. BILLHEIMER, OF SAME PLACE.

MAIL-POUCH FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,641, dated December 17, 1889.

Application filedJuly 11,1889. Serial No. 317,188. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HORRALL,

. a citizen of the United States, and a resident ,ing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to mail-pouches, and

has for its object to provide a new, more convenient, reliable, and expeditious series of attachments for opening and closing mailpouches than that heretofore in use. I attain this object by the novel construction and adaptation of fasteners illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mailpouch fitted with my attachments. Fig. 2 represents the same with the flap thrown open and looking into the mouth of the pouch. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section on the line a? w in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of one of the sliding tongues shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a vertical cross-section of one of the shouldered staple-sockets shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a, perspective detail view ofthe guard-staple, also shown in Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

The mail-pouch A is of the usual form and construction, with the exception of the mouth attachments. For the sake of firmness a strip of leather B is fastened, preferably, on the inside of the pouch, near the top and-extending around the same. Below the stripB are arranged on one side of the pouch a series of shouldered staple-sockets O. The peculiar construction of sockets C will be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 5. The center a of the base 00 is raised, forming the shoulders b b, which, when said sockets C are riveted to the pouch, leaves a passage 0 for the insertion of the strap G. The sides of the sockets O, forming the shoulders I) 1), project beyond the center a to form ways d, in which slide the tongues E. The top 2 of sockets C has its center cut away, as shown in Fig. 2, forming a sort of mortise f for the insertion of the staples F. The strap G is insertdd through the passages c, and has riveted to it a series of tongues E, (shown in Fig. 4,) adapted to slide in the ways d. The ends of the strap G project through the slits I at either edge of the pouch A. Strap G is prevented from sliding too far to the left, so as to wholly Withdraw the tongues E from the ways (1, by one or more guard-staples K, placed over strap G and riveted to the pouch at such point or points that the base 9 of the tongue E will strike against said guard-staple as soon as the end 72. of tongue E has passed back of mortise f. On the other hand, the shoulder i of tongue E strikes the base a of the staple-sockets O as soon as the end 71 of tongue E has passed through the ways d, and strap G is thus prevented from being pulled too far to the right. The left end of strap G is provided with a loop or ring 70, by which said strap is pulled to the left, and with an eye 1 for attaching to the hook L, fixed to that edge of the pouch. The right end of strap G 75 has a re-enforced slot m, adapted to engage staple M, attached near the right edge of the pouch. .The flap N is furnished with a series of staples F, adapted to pass through the holes 00. into the mortisesf and be engaged by the tongues E. To the opposite side of fiap N is fastened a hasp 0, adapted, in the usual manner, to contain the tag 0.

The manipulation of the pouch and its advantages over the pouch now in use will be readily perceived, and, briefly stated, are as follows: To close the pouch, the strap G being pulled to the left, the flap N is turned over the mouth of the pouch, the staples F are pressed through the holes at and allowed to drop into the inortises f, the eye Z is engaged to the hook L, the strap G is pulled to the right, causing the tongues E to engage the staples F, the slot or is engaged to the staple M, and'the usual lock P is attached to 5 staple M, holding all in place. It will be seen that the pouch will remain closed although the strap G be broken or cut at either orboth ends. The operation of opening the pouch is of course the reverse of that of closing it, and Ice.

therefore need not be particularly described. The staples F, sockets O, hook. L, staple M, and hasp O are all fastened by rivets, the heads of which are preferably on the outside of the pouch, and this will make it impracticable to remove them while the pouch is closed. It will also be seen that the pouch is practically closed or opened by a single pull of the strap G, and thatthe drawing of straps through staples, which consumes so much time and becomes so burdensome to every mail-agent who has to open and close any considerable number of pouches per day, is entirely done away with, while at the same time my pouch is more securely closed than by the present method employed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination, in a mail-pouch, of the shouldered staple-sockets adapted to be fixed to the interior of said pouch near its mouth, the strap G, having tongues E, adapted to slide into said sockets, and the staples attached to the flap and adapted to fit into recesses cut in the staple-sockets, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a mail-pouol1,of the staple-sockets constructed substantially as described, and adapted to be fixed near the mouth of said pouch, strap G, having tongues E, adapted to slide in ways (I! of said sockets, staples attached to the flap and adapted to be engaged by said tongues E, and guard-staples adapted to be fixed over said strap G, substantially as described, and all combined to co-operate substantially as set forth.

3. The combinati0n,in a mail-pouch, of the staple-socket C, fixed near the mouth of said pouch, strap G, bearing the tongues E and having its ends arranged as described, staples fixed t0 the flap of said pouch, the hook L, adapted to receive one end of said strap, a staple adapted to receive the other end of said strap, hasp fixed to said flap, and the lock adapted to fasten said strap and said hasp, substantially as shown.

4. The combination, in a mail-poueh, of the staple-sockets fixed near the mouth of said pouch, strap G, having tongues E and provided with projecting ends, guard-staples adapted to be fixed over said strap, substantially as shown, flap N, having staples F, hook adapted to receive one end of said strap, staple M, adapted to receive the other end of said strap, tag-hasp fixed to said flap, and lock adapted to engage said staple M, all constructed and combined to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto atfixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM A. HORRALL.

Witnesses:

JOHN DOWNEY, WILLIAM DAVIS. 

